The best time of the year is here again! The 55th running of the QMJHL playoffs began on Thursday night when the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada hosted the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Friday night sees things kick into high gear with a full slate of games featuring all 16 participants.
For now, we take a look at the first round series in the Western Conference
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DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS (1) vs HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS (9 East)
Last year’s Gilles-Courteau Trophy Champions retained their form into this season, outdueling Rouyn-Noranda and Shawinigan for top spot in the conference. Though the Volts turned over a few key members of last year’s roster, returnees such as captain and leading scorer Luke Woodworth, 50-goal scorer Sam Oliver and 2023 Tampa Bay second-rounder Ethan Gauthier helped drive a potent offensive attack that was bolstered by the acquisition of Justin Larose from Victoriaville. Veterans Marc-Olivier Beaudry and Buffalo Sabres draftee Simon-Pier Brunet were part of a defensive committee that allowed the second fewest goal against in the ‘Q’. Riley Mercer, the overage netminder who led the league in save percentage, also tied for top spot in shutouts. Behind the bench is a man who’s no stranger to his first-round opponent; former Mooseheads bench boss Sylvain Favreau.
The Mooseheads clinched a playoff spot with two games remaining. Though a strong showing out of the gate was pivotal in Halifax’s fourth straight postseason entry, a number of players contributed key performances down the stretch. Mid-season acquisition Quinn Kennedy has provided a boost up front, particularly on the power play, while skating alongside second-year center Liam Kilfoil. Shawn Carrier, acquired from the Moncton Wildcats in the off-season, enjoyed a breakout year while captain Brady Schultz set a new franchise mark for career points by a defenseman in the final weeks of the season. He’s joined by German rookie Carlos Handel and third year veteran Owen Phillips on the blue line. A deadline day pickup from the Wildcats, Jacob Steinman has been a workhorse between the pipes, finishing second in the league in GAA and save percentage.
The Voltigeurs swept the season series with Halifax this year, earning 4-3 win on the road and a 4-2 victory at home over a two-week stretch in January. This is the second time these two teams have faced off in the postseason. In 2019, the Moose eliminated the Volts in six games to advance to the league Final.
ROUYN-NORANDA HUSKIES (2) vs. GATINEAU OLYMPIQUES (7)
In this all-West Division showdown, the Huskies will be aiming for a third straight trip to the league quarter-finals. Rouyn-Noranda put together another high-offense season thanks to five 20-goal and eight 40-point scorers. Spearheading the play up front were last year’s top scorer Antonin Verreault and 2025 NHL Draft prospect Bill Zonnon. Swiss rookie Lars Steiner made a splash, as did mid-season pickup Remi Gelinas. Ty Higgins led all QMJHL rearguards in scoring while overage captain Alex Carr was solid in all three zones. Behind all of this was netminder Samuel Meloche, who achieved the rare feat of posting 30 wins in his rookie season while also tying for the league lead in shutouts. The Huskies rode an 8-1-0-0 record in March to their second straight division title.
Despite spending an extended portion of the campaign on the outside of the playoff picture, the Olympiques are back in the postseason for a mind-boggling 40th straight season. Leading the pack is overager Jeremie Minville, fresh off his second straight 35-goal campaign. Another pair of veterans in Justin Boisselle and Julien Paille, the latter acquired from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar mid-season, played pivotal roles while blueliners Jan Golicic and Taos Jordan logged heavy minutes all year long. Ontarian Nicholas Petrut, picked up in December, registered 21 points over the last 27 games of the season. Another key player down the stretch was goaltender Iain Wintle, who collected three key victories during the final two weeks of the campaign for rookie Head Coach Alexis Loiseau.
The Huskies held a 5-3 advantage in the season series. These two are no strangers when it comes to playoff matchups, facing off 11 times since the Huskies moved from St-Hyacinthe in 1996, including the previous two postseasons. Gatineau gained the upper hand in 2023, while the Huskies were victorious last spring.
SHAWINIGAN CATARACTES (3) vs VAL-D’OR FOREURS (6)
After a slow start, the Cataractes reached the postseason for the sixth consecutive year having earned points in 13 consecutive games. A balanced attack produced five players with at least a point per game, led by Calgary Flames 2024 first-rounder and top rookie scorer Matvei Gridin. Felix Lacerte, a 35-goal scorer, and off-season acquisition Louis-Philippe Fontaine provided consistent offense. The same can be said about Vince Elie, who had a successful first full season in Shawinigan. Overager Yoan Loshing, acquired in January from the Moncton Wildcats, made an impression when in the lineup. The blue line was anchored by a pair of holdovers from the club’s 2022 championship in Jordan Tourigny and Isaac Menard. Whether it was Mathys Fernandez or rookie Owen Brisson in net, odds were good the puck was staying out, the two combining for just eight regulation losses.
These are exciting times in Val-d’Or, where the Foreurs are back in the postseason for the first time in three years. This is a highly skilled team that plays to a potent offense, led by 40-goal scorers Noah Reinhart and Philippe Veilleux. Nathan Brisson and Samuel Fiala both enjoyed career years up front while Donovan Arsenault brought leadership and experience to the room, not to mention a solid touch around the net. Leading the way on the backend was William Bishop and Evan Depatie. Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte, the second pick of the 2024 QMJHL Draft, developed into a key role on the blue line as the season progressed. In net, the tandem of Cedric Masse and Emile Beaunoyer split duties right down the middle.
If the regular season was any indication, this series could have fans on the edge of their seats. Each club won twice, with two of their four games requiring overtime. The Cataractes will be looking to earn their first series win over the Foreurs, who are 4-0 lifetime in postseason play against Shawinigan.
BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND ARMADA (4) vs SHERBROOKE PHOENIX (5)
It’s becoming a rite of spring in the Western Conference; for the fourth straight season, these two teams are ready for postseason battle. The Armada enjoyed its best offensive campaign in seven years thanks in large part to touted 2025 NHL Draft prospect Justin Carbonneau. Overager Egor Goriunov was a force from the time he was acquired from the Charlottetown Islanders while Vincent Desjardins and Mateo Nobert enjoyed breakout campaigns. Xavier Villeneuve turned heads with his dynamic play on the blue line with and without the puck. Theo Lemieux and Emanuelson Charbonneau-Joseph were key veterans on a defensively responsible backend. A mid-season trade with Shawinigan brought goaltender Felix Hamel into the fold; a move that paid instant dividends.
The Phoenix is the definition of balance; 201 goals for, 201 against. The offensive side of the team’s game came in large part from a top-nine forward group that proved capable of contributing. While Mavrick Lachance and Hugo Primeau led the way on the stats sheet, a pair of rookies – Thomas Rousseau and Florent Houle – were also key contributors. As for blueliners, Louis-Alex Tremblay was the go-to guy offensively while veterans Hugo Marcil and Eloi Bourdeau provided a stabilizing, veteran presence. When he wasn’t providing heroics between the pipes for Team Latvia at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, Linards Feldbergs was putting in constantly solid efforts for the blue and white. Behind the bench, Gilles Bouchard did was he does best; maximizing the results out of this up-and-coming group.
Oddly enough, this series is just one of two in the opening round that follows the 2-2-1-1-1 format. The Armada, who won the season series with Sherbrooke 3-1, will be aiming not only for a trip to round two for the first time in three years but a first-ever series win over the Phoenix, who hold a 4-0 record thus far.
